PRIMI RISULTATI DI UN INDAGINE SULLO STATO DELLE SISTEMAZIONI IDRAULICO-FORESTALI NEL BACINO DELL’ARNO

Il presente lavoro è relativo ai risultati ottenuti con il primo stato d’avanzamento di una ricerca sullo stato delle Sistemazioni Idraulico-Forestali per assegnate aree di indagine comprese nel bacino del fiume Arno affidata dall’ Autorità di Bacino del Fiume Arno al Dipartimento di Ingegneria Agraria e Forestale dell’Università degli Studi di Firenze. Innanzi tutto, è stata condotta un’analisi preventiva, mediante un database, di documentazione relativa alle opere idrauliche già censite in precedenti lavori (prof. Grazi) con identificazione della posizione geografica delle opere stesse con l’ausilio di software GIS. A questa prima fase sono seguiti la predisposizione di una opportuna scheda di rilievo (sia cartacea sia elettronica) e quindi sopralluoghi in campo condotti mediante l’ausilio di un GPS collegato a computer palmare per il supporto cartografico di base. Rilievi di dettaglio sono stati condotti nei torrenti dell’area del Mugello, già oggetto di studi risalenti a una trentina di anni fa per la valutazione delle pendenze di compensazione (Falciai et al.) che sono stati utilizzati spesso in letteratura (Ferro et al., Pica et al., etc.). Con riferimento ad altre zone campione del bacino (es. Casentino e Area Fiorentina), la documentazione storica ed il sopralluogo in campo (su base statistica) ha avuto lo scopo di rintracciare le opere esistenti e verificare l’attendibilità e la confrontabilità dei vari censimenti eseguiti anche da altri Enti preposti. In particolare si è analizzato il dimensionamento delle opere ed il loro stato attuale di conservazione ed efficienza, confrontandolo con quanto riportato in eventuali elaborati progettuali e nei censimenti precedenti. Eventuali danneggiamenti dei manufatti possono essere derivati dalle valutazioni in sede progettuale, da scarsa o inesistente manutenzione o da mutate caratteristiche in alveo e nel bacino. Per avere qualche indicazione in proposito si è valutata la portata di progetto a partire dalle dimensioni delle gavete considerate come stramazzi in parete grossa e se ne è stimato il tempo di ritorno, mediante i modelli AlTo (Regione Toscana) e Idrarno (Autorità di Bacino). Questa fase ha richiesto un lavoro preventivo di queries spaziali che hanno lo scopo di attribuire il codice dell’asta a cui appartengono le opere idrauliche in esame (all’interno del reticolo idrografico del modello AlTo e all’interno del reticolo “Sistema Acque” dell’Autorità di Bacino dell’Arno). Questa operazione consente, inoltre, il collegamento tra il contenuto informativo del geodatabase dell’Autorità di Bacino con il sistema di regionalizzazione delle portate di piena della Regione Toscana. Mediante la misura delle caratteristiche dimensionali dell’opera si sono cercate di ricavare anche indicazioni statistiche riguardo alla pendenza di compensazione dei corsi d’acqua in esame. Le verifiche in campo ha permesso anche una descrizione delle condizioni generali dell’alveo in cui sono situate le opere e dei versanti siti in prossimità delle opere stesse. I dati raccolti sono stati immessi in un geodatabase opportunamente costruito secondo lo standard di quello esistente presso l’Autorità di Bacino del Fiume Arno e quindi elaborati per la ricerca delle relazioni tra le caratteristiche delle opere e la pendenza attuale dell’alveo nonché la stima della necessità, per i corsi d’acqua esaminati, di opere atte a garantire la continuità fluviale per la ittiofauna (Pini Prato e Barneschi)

The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on pornography habits: a global analysis of Google Trends

As the COVID-19 spread globally, social distancing, self-isolation/quarantine, and national lockdowns have become crucial to control the pandemic. However, these measures may also lead to increases in social isolation, loneliness, and stress, which can alter the consumption of pornography habits. The aim of the study was thus to explore the interest pattern in pornography and coronavirus-themed pornography during the COVID-19 outbreak. Google Trends\uae was employed to determine the most popular porn websites (Porn, XNXX, PornHub, xVideos, and xHamster), and coronavirus-themed pornography worldwide and in six nations with different COVID-19 outbreak and self-isolation recommendations. We analyzed every search trend on Google\uae from January 9, 2020 to May 25, 2020 using \u201cjoint point regression analysis\u201d. Comparisons of week relative search volume (WRSV) and temporal patterns were analyzed to assess the change of interest in search terms during nations lockdowns. Paired t-test was used to compare WRSV values among the porn websites during the national lockdowns and the equivalent timespan of the weeks in the previous 4 years. The research trend of almost every keyword increased with significant inflection points for those nations with a straight \u201cstay at home orders\u201d (China, Italy, Spain, and France). \u201cPornHub\u201d and \u201cPorn\u201d showed the highest increase of interest worldwide with an average weekend percentage change (AWPC) of 4.9 and 3.8, respectively. The mean WRSV for keywords in USA and Sweden did not show a similar increase as the other nations. The WRSV percentage change with the historical data had a peak during the straight nations\u2019 lockdowns (p < 0.01). All the nations had a significant increase in WRSV coronavirus-themed pornography for each keyword (p < 0.01) with an AWPC, ranging worldwide between 18.5 and 61.8 (p < 0.01), after the beginning of self-quarantine. As strengths this study uses a big data technology to collect worldwide trend of interest, however, data are anonymous and do not allow analysis of subpopulation groups. In conclusion, we demonstrated an increased interest in pornography and coronavirus-themed pornography after the outbreak of COVID-19 in nations with a straight \u201cstay at home orders\u201d

Relevance of the Endoscopic Evaluation in the Diagnosis of Bladder Pain Syndrome/Interstitial Cystitis

Objective: To assess the relevance of the endoscopic evaluation in clinically suspected cases of Bladder Pain Syndrome/Interstitial Cystitis (BPS/IC), using ESSIC criteria, established in 2008 by the European Society for the Study of Interstitial Cystitis (ESSIC). Methods: We included all patients who underwent endoscopic evaluation between January 01, 2015 and October 31, 2019 for clinical suspicion of BPS/IC. Collected data included demographic and baseline clinical features, endoscopic appearance (prior and after hydrodistension), and bladder wall biopsy results, both defined according to ESSIC criteria. Data were cross tabulated to define ESSIC phenotypes, while subgroups and multivariate analyses were carried out to assess the influence of clinical variables on ESSIC phenotypes. Results: Fifty-two subjects were included, mainly women (92%). Median age at evaluation was 45 (32.9-58.2) years. At hydrodistension, 21 patients (42%) had positive and 29 (58%) had negative findings. Grade 2-3 glomerulations were found in 18 patients, while Hunner lesions were reported only in 1 patient. Positive results at biopsy were found in 24 pts (51.1%), while negative in 23 (48.9%). Overall, the positive and negative concordance between hydrodistension and biopsy results was 78%. No significant differences in ESSIC subtypes were found after stratification based on clinical features and at multivariate analysis. Retrospective design is the main limitation. Conclusion: Cystoscopy with hydrodistension and biopsy do have a role in the diagnostic pathway of BPS/IC. However, results should be considered in the clinical context of the individual patient

Real-Life Data on the Efficacy of Canakinumab in Patients with Adult-Onset Still's Disease

Background. Interleukin-1 inhibition has revealed to be a successful treatment approach for patients with adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD). However, real-life experience is focused on the use of anakinra, while data about canakinumab (CAN) are mainly based on case reports and small case series. Patients and Methods. Patients classified with AOSD according to Yamaguchi criteria and treated with CAN were consecutively enrolled. Their clinical and therapeutic data were retrospectively collected and statistically analysed to assess the role of CAN as a therapeutic opportunity in AOSD patients in terms of clinical and laboratory disease control along with corticosteroid-sparing effect. Results. Nine AOSD patients (8 females and 1 male) treated with CAN for 15.00±12.3 months were enrolled. Resolution of clinical manifestations was reported in 8/9 cases at the 3-month assessment; a significant decrease in the number of tender joints (p=0.009), swollen joints (p=0.027), and disease activity score on 28 joints-C-reactive protein (DAS28-CRP) (p=0.044) was observed during the study period. The systemic score of disease activity significantly decreased at the 3-month and 6-month assessments and at the last visit compared to the start of treatment (p=0.028, p=0.028, and p=0.018, respectively). The daily corticosteroid dosage was significantly reduced at the 3-month and at the last follow-up visits (p=0.017 and p=0.018, respectively). None of the patients experienced adverse events or severe adverse events during the follow-up. Conclusions. CAN has shown prompt and remarkable effectiveness in controlling AOSD activity in a real-life contest, with a significant glucocorticoid-sparing effect and an excellent safety profile

Diagnostic therapeutic flow-charts for low back pain patients: the Italian clinical guidelines

non previsto dalla rivista nel caso di pubblicazione di linee guid

Diagnostic therapeutic flow-charts for low-back pain patient : the Italian clinical guidelines

non previsto dalla rivista nel caso di pubblicazione di linee guid

Diagnostic therapeutic flow-charts for low back pain patients: the Italian clinical guidelines

non previsto dalla rivista nel caso di pubblicazione di linee guid